Weakened Chile conservatives pick woman to take on Bachelet

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's weakened conservative UDI party said on Saturday it has picked Labor Minister Evelyn Matthei as its new candidate in the November presidential election, which is expected to see former president Michelle Bachelet triumph.

Matthei steps in after the right-wing's former candidate Pablo Longueira unexpectedly quit the campaign on Wednesday due to depression, sending the bloc into disarray.

Longueira had launched his campaign after the right's previous favorite Laurence Golborne dropped his bid in April because of a scandal from his time as chief executive officer of retailer Cencosud.

An economist known for her blunt style, Matthei is a seasoned member of the Union Democrata Independiente (UDI) party.

Conservative Chile has never had two women presidential front runners.

Bachelet, a popular former center-left leader who governed from 2006 to 2010, is expected to easily beat Matthei in the November 17 general election or a potential December 15 runoff.

Her approval ratings hover near 75 percent, compared with around 34 percent for Matthei, according to a survey conducted by pollster CEP between November and December, which was the most recent such poll.

The center-right Renovacion Nacional (RN) party has not officially announced whether it will rally behind Matthei or send its own candidate into the general election, which could further split the right-wing Alianza coalition.

But the RN's former candidate Andres Allamand, who narrowly lost to Longueira in the June 30 primaries, has indicated he would only revive his campaign if he were the bloc's sole runner.

While Bachelet is expected to easily trounce rivals, analysts say the right could suffer an even sharper presidential defeat if it fails to settle on one candidate.

Conservative candidates are dogged by the legacy of President Sebastian Pinera, a gaffe-prone billionaire who has struggled to connect with ordinary Chileans. He is barred from running for a second consecutive term.

Bachelet's affable style and social policies have made her popular in Chile, where many feel they have not seen the fruits of robust economic growth.